Theater chair



Nv. 4, 1947. I s. B, McDONALD THEATER-CHAIR Filed May 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 4, 1947. i s. B. MCDONALD 2,430,356

THEATER CHAIR Filed May 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 4, 1947 THEATER CHAIR Sterling B. McDonald, Naperville, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Push-Back Chair 00., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application May 25, 1944, Serial No. 537,225

11 Claims. (Cl. 155-85) issued to Merrill W. Hard and Everett D. Kaser on December 15, 1942.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved form of seat assembly for chairs of the type above described, wherein the seat is hinged and balanced in an improved manner so as to fold upwardly more readily, and can also be readily maintained in folded position whether the seat is in its forward or retracted position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form and arrangement of roller support for the chair assembly. A still further object is to provide a more simple, strong and durable form of mounting for the chair assembly and its associated parts.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a chair constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, side view of the chair, with the side pedestals removed to disclose details of the seat assembly, and showing the seat and back in full lines in the normal position they have when occupied, and in dotted lines in their retracted position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front view of the parts shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view somewhat similar to Figure 2, but showing the seat and back in retracted position, and the seat folded upwardly toward the back;

Figure 5 is a composite perspective view of the several main parts of the lever supporting members for the back and seat, showing said members in detached, or exploded relation to each other;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail View of the seat hinge and associated stop means;

Figure '7 is a detail view showing a modified form of subframe to which the seat is hinged.

Referring to the details of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, 20, 20 indicates the side pedestals on which the'chair is mounted. Two of such pedestals are required for each chair, but when arranged in a row a single pedestal between adjacent chairs serves for both. Each pedestal has an arm rest 2| along its top edge, and shoes 22 at its bottom edge for fastening to the floor in any suitable manner.

A seat and back assembly is mounted between a pair of pedestals 20 and consists generally of a seat 23 and back 24 having means permitting limited forward and rearward movement in a substantially horizontal direction relative to the pedestals. The back 24 has a pair of side plates 26, 26 rigidly connected thereto and projecting forwardly in a generally horizontal direction from adjacent the bottom thereof. A pair of supporting levers or links 21, 21, commonly termed main levers, are connected to opposite sides of the back on pivots 28, 28 disposed slightly above the bottom edge thereof. Said main levers extend downwardly from the back to pivotal supports 29, 29, suitably supported on the inner faces of the proximate pedestals 20. In the form shown herein, the pivotal supports 29, 29 form part of a generally triangular-shaped mounting frame 30, 30 of the kind broadly disclosed and claimed in the Hard and Kaser Patent No. 2,305,077 hereinbefore mentioned. Said mounting frames provide a readily detachable means for mounting the seat and back assembly on the pedestals by suitable attaching means such as a plurality of bolts 3 I, 3 I. In the form shown herein, said mounting frames are rigidly connected together by a horizontally disposed cross bar 32, of tubular cross section.

The forward ends of the side lates 26, 26 of the back have a second pair of supporting levers or links 33, 33 connected thereto on pivots 34, 34. Said last named levers, commonly termed sublevers, overlie said side plates and extend downwardly therefrom to pivots 35, 35 on the front ends of the mounting frames 30, 30 respectively, In the form shown herein, the main levers and sublevers are spaced apart slightly more at their lower ends than at their upper ends, The arrangement is such that the back 24 can be bodily swung from a forward, normal seating position as indicated in full lines in Figure 2 to a rearward, temporarily retracted position, as indicated in dotted lines in the same figure. The movement of the back is controlled by the levers as usual so that it assumes an almost Vertical position when it is retracted, but with little or no rearward movement of the top portion of the back, as shown.

Means for limiting the forward and rearward swinging movement of the back may be similar to that disclosed in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,305,077, and consists herein of a pair of downwardly diverging wing portions 36 and 31, suitably fixed to the outer face of each side plate 26 -tering relationwith said lugs.

rear end pivotally connected at 4| to the inner face of the proximate side plate 26, close to the lower edge of the back 2d. Said subframes extend forwardly and downwardly between the side plates, and are formed with inwardly extending flanged portions 42, 62 adjacent their forward ends. Said flanged portions have sliding engagement with supporting means carried by the sublevers 33, 33 which herein consists of a pair of laterally spaced rollers 43, 43 mounted on a cross. bar 44 rigidly connecting the sublevers together intermediate their ends. In the form shown the cross bar 4 is of tubular section, and each of the rollers 43 is rotatably mounted be- 1 tween a pair of wings d5, d5 suitably secured to said cross bar.

The horizontally extending flanges Q2, 42 of the subframes 30 are each preferably formed with upwardly offset track portions 46 along their central portions, for engagement by the rollers 43, and are also provided with inturned horizontal guide members 3611 along their inner edges, for horizontal sliding engagement with outturned lugs iEa on the upper end of the inner wings 35, as shown in Figure 3. With this construction, the subframes 40 are maintained in engagement with the rollers 43 at all times.

The seat 23 includes a base frame ll of any suitable construction herein, including a pair of supporting wings as, 28 at opposite sides thereof arranged for connection with the proximate subframes Gil, 48 on pivots 39, 49 intermediate the ends of the latter. In the preferred arrangement shown herein, the seat pivots 39, 39 are disposed at a substantial distance from the rear edge of the seat frame, and also forwardly of the back, so that said seat will be partially balanced by the portion thereof which extends rearwardly of its pivotal axis when the seat is folded upwardly. Moreover, the said seat pivots are spaced forwardly of the back so as to provide ample space for the upper upholstered part of the seat, when it is folded upwardly toward the back, both when the seat and back are in their forward and retracted positions, as shown in Figure 4.

The front part of the seat 23 is supported in its horizontal seating position by engagement with the upper surfaces of the flanged portions 42, 52 of the subframes it), 48 at opposite sides of the seat frame. Resilient bumpers 50, 50 may be provided between the meeting surfaces of the seat frame and flanged portions respectively; as shown herein, said bumpers being suitably secured to said flanged portions 32. Additional stop means for supporting the seat in horizontal seating position comprises a pair of inwardly projecting lugs 51, 5! carried by the rear ends of the subframes 59, 40 and engaged by a pair of brackets 52, 52 carried by the seat frame 4'! in regis- The brackets 52, 52 may also be provided with resilient bumpers 'Upward folding movement of the seat frame is limited by engagement between the bottom of 4 the seat frame 31 and the rear edges of the flanged portions 62, 42 of the subframes 48, 40, as shown in Figure 4.

In the modified form of seat shown in Figure 7 the front ends of the two subframes 40, 40 are joined rigidly together by a cross bar 55 connecting the flanged portions 42, e2 thereof as shown, so as to provide additional strength and rigidity of the structure, when desired.

Although I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to any of the specific details, excepting as may be defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a chair, opposed supports, a back having side members extending forwardly at their lower ends, two pairs of levers pivotally connected to and between said side members and said supports, a subframe member pivotally mounted on each of said side members extending forwardly, means on the front pair of levers affording sliding support for said subframe members, a seat pivotally hinged to and between said subframe members, and stop means to limit the forward and rearward movement of said back and seat relative to said supports.

2. In a chair, opposed supports, a back having side members extending forwardly at their lower ends, two pairs of levers pivotally connected to and between said side members and said supports, a subframe member pivotally mounted on each of said side members extending forwardly, means on the front pair of levers affording sliding support for said subframe members, a seat pivotally hinged to and intermediate its ends between said subframe members, and forwardly of their pivotal connection with said side members, and stop means to limit the forward and rearward movement of said back and seat relative to said supports.

3. In a chair, opposed supports therefor, a back, side members fixed to the back, subframe members pivotally connected to said side members, a seat pivotally connected to said subframe members, front and rear levers pivoted at their upper ends to said side members and at their lower ends to said supports, movable supporting means between said front levers and said subframe members, and stop means for said seat on said subframe members disposed forwardly of the pivotal connections therebetween to support said seat in lowered seating position.

4. In a chair, opposed supports therefor, a back,

1 side members fixed to the back, subframe members pivotally connected to said side members, a seat pivotally connected to said subframe members, front and rear levers pivoted at their upper ends to said side members and at their lower ends to said supports, and means on said front levers providing slidable support for the front ends of said subframe members.

5. In a chair, opposed supports therefor, a back, side members fixed to the back, subfram members pivotally connected to said side members, a

seat pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said subframe members on an axis disposed forwardly of the pivotal connections of said subframe relative to said side members, front and rear levers pivoted at their upper ends to said side members and at their lower ends to said supports, and means on said front levers providing slidable support for the front ends of said subframe members.

6. In a chair, opposed supports therefor, a back,

side members fixed to the back, subframe members pivotally connected to said side members, a seat pivotally connected to said subframe members, front and rear levers pivoted at their upper ends to said side members and at their lower, ends to said supports, and means on said front levers providing slidable support for the front ends of said subframe members including anti-friction roller means on said front levers and guide means on said subframe members and said front levers maintaining said roller means in supporting relation with said subframe members.

7. In a chair, opposed supports therefor, a back, side members fixed to the back having forward extensions at their lower ends, subframe members pivotally connected to said side members, rear levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said side members and at their lower ends to said supports, front levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said extensions and. at their lower ends to said supports, means on said front levers providing slidable support for said subframe members, stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movement of said levers relative to said supports, a seat pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said subframe members on an axis disposed forwardly of said back so that said seat may be folded upwardly against said back in both the forward and rearward positions of said levers.

8. In a chair, opposed supports therefor, a back, side frame members fixed to said back and havin forward extensions at their bottom, subframe members including vertical side plates pivotally connected to and extending forwardly of said side frame members, and horizontal flanges extending inwardly from said side plates below the pivotal connections with said side frame members, a seat pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said side plates above said flanges, front levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said extensions and at their lower ends to said supports, rear levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said side frame members and at their lower ends to said supports, and means on said front levers providin sliding support for said inwardly extending flanges.

9. In a chair, opposed supports therefor, a back, side frame members fixed to said back and having forward extensions at their bottom, subframe members including vertical side plates pivotally connected to and extending forwardly of said side frame members, and horizontal flanges extending inwardly from said side plates below the pivotal connections With said side frame members, a seat pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said side plates above said flanges, front levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said extensions and at their lower ends to said supports, rear levers pivotally connected at their upper ends to said side frame members and at their lower ends to said supports, and rollers on said front levers having supporting engagement beneath said inwardly extending flanges.

10. In a chair, opposed supports therefor, a back, side members fixed to the back, subframe members pivotally connected to said side members, a seat pivotally connected to said subframe members, front and rear levers pivoted at their upper ends to said side members and at their lower ends to said supports, means on said front levers affording slidable support for the front ends of said subframe members, and means rigid- 1y connecting said subframe members together.

11. In a chair, opposed supports therefor, a back, side members fixed to the back, subframe members pivotally connected to said side members, a seat pivotally connected to said subframe members, front and rear levers pivoted at their upper ends to said side members and at their lower ends to said supports, movable supporting means between said front levers and said subframe members, and stop means for said seat on said subframe members disposed forwardly of the movable supporting means between said front levers and said subframe members to support said seat in lowered seating position.

STERLING B. MCDONALD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,305,077 Hard et a1 Dec. 15, 1942 2,078,373 Dorton Apr. 27, 1937 2,164,918 Hard July 4, 1939 2,250,223 Hard July 22, 1941 2,098,623 Hard Nov. 9, 1937 2,351,283 Orton June 13, 1944 

